"Arts of Survival"

"ARTS OF SURVIVAL"

"Arts of Survival" is meant to express the power of the arts in affecting Europe’s future in three larger areas of life: environmentally friendly culture with a focus on real human communication, strong communities and essential skills for living and, indeed, survival in the coming years.

With messages and actions that value the individual and with the help of our Southern Estonian partners, even a city the size of Tartu can stand out in 21st century Europe.

The three main themes where the Arts of Survival come to life are as follows: "Tartu with Earth: Ecology Before Economy", "Tartu with Humanity; Forward to the Roots", "Tartu with Europe: Greater Smaller Cities". Each of these programme lines consists a number of transversal, transnational and transgenerational projects which open up the "Arts of Survival" values.

TARTU 2024 FINAL SELECTION BID BOOK

The structure of the bid book stems from the guidelines of the competition. There are six categories of criteria which are evaluated by the panel of independent experts:

Contribution to the long-term cultural strategy

Cultural and artistic content

European dimension

Outreach

Management

Capacity to deliver

Tartu 2024 final selection bid book is in English. An Estonian edition will available in Autumn 2019 after the completition of translation, editing and design works.

TARTU WITH EARTH: ECOLOGY BEFORE ECONOMY

A great challenge of our time is the environmental damage caused by human activity. What can we do to slow down and control its impacts? What can small to medium sized towns do to guarantee our survival on Earth?

We believe that art can play a major role in shaping values and the willingness to act. The European Capital of Culture artistic programme we propose promotes biodiversity, organic food and handicraft culture, re- and upcycling. We want to clean up land and water and empower people with the means of nature education and urban gardening.

Tartu is closer to nature than many great European cities and we are ready to lead citizens towards an environmentally friendly urban life. For one, we hope to shed light on solutions that keep mass events eco-friendly and sustainable.

TARTU WITH HUMANITY: FORWARD TO THE ROOTS

Tartu 2024 also aims to address the problems of the Digital Age. We might succeed in saving the environment but will humanity survive? Alienation from practical hand skills, arts and even everyday communication deepens mental health concerns all around Europe, but especially among the youth.

Our proposed artistic programme for the years 2019-2024 aims to revive such basic human capabilities as communication, cooperation, handicraft, physical and nature skills. We also wish to build bridges between the elderly and the young in order to foster the transgenerational passing of knowledge.

Tartu and its citizens can surprise at every step, with grandparents teaching children musical instruments or wanting to learn street art techniques from them. We want to share these experiences with Europe to foster a society with healthy minds and bodies, and citizens active in the arts.

TARTU WITH EUROPE: GREATER SMALLER CITIES

Tartu and Southern Estonia want to stand out. Historically, Tartu has been a centre for critical thought and public initiatives. The famous spirit of Tartu, Tartu vaim, encompasses many "crazy" scientists, bohemian wanderers and counter-culture lifestyles. This is our human biodiversity.

At the same time, we feel the need to take notice of all the people who are perceived to be “usual”. Everyone has their own thoughts, memories and dreams; skills and relationships with culture. Trust in European values has begun to disappear because a lot of people feel unnoticed and unheard. Therefore the Tartu 2024 artistic programme aims to present our past and present uniqueness to Europe while welcoming everyone’s creative input. We encourage the participation of Tartuvians and Southern Estonians with very different profiles and backgrounds.